Attachment for cars



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. KONIGSBERG. ATTACHMENT FOR CARS. No. 434,902. Patented Aug. 19, 1890. I

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. KONIGSBERG.

ATTAUHMENT FOB. CARS.

No. 434,902. Patented Aug. 19, 189 0.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. KONIGSBERG. ATTACHMENT FOR ems.

No. 434,902. Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

INVENTOI? w/ IVES 8: 1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GABRIEL KONIGSBERG, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ATTACHMENT FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,902, dated August 19, 1890- Application filed March 4,1890. Serial No. 342,649. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern: mounted upon wheels 4, supporting axles 12, Be it known that I, GABRIEL KONIGSBERG, provided with suitable jonrnal-boxes 15, sea citizen of the United States, residing at Dencured to the bottom B of the platform, com- 55 ver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of posed of any suitable material. Extending Colorado, have invented certain new and uselongitudinally through the center of the platfnl Improvements in Attachments for Cars; form and just above the axles is a plate or and I do declare the following to be a full, bar 13, providedwith apertures let, through clear, and exact description of the invention, which the coupling-pin 7 passes when the de- 60 such as will enable others skilled in the art vice is secured to the platform of the car 1, as re to which it appertains to make and use the shown in Fig. 1. Across the center of the same, reference being had to the accompanyplatform 3 is secured a seat 8, having sides 9, ing drawings, and to the letters and figures of and a reversible back 10, connected with the reference marked thereon,which form a part sides 9 by means of arms 11. The arms are 65 of this specification. pivoted at one extremity to the back 10 and I 5 My invention relates to improvements in at the other extremity to sides 9, as shown.

attachments forcars, and is specially designed The entire platform, including the seat, for use on the steam, cable, electric, and soarms, and back of the seat, is thoroughly upcalled motor cars used in large cities in bolstered, cushioned, or padded, so that no 70 supplying the demand for rapid transit. hard, rigid, or rough extremity or corner is so The object of my improvement is to provide exposed that it could by any possibility strike a device which when secured to the forward a person who might be in the way of the movplatform or end of the car shall prevent the ingcain- As shown in the drawings, this uphappening of any serious accident by reason bolstering is eifected by the use of coiled 75 of the car coming in contact with or striking springs 17 and 18. I do not wish to limit a person. In case of an accident of this natmyself to any particular form or construction urc my improved device, by virtue of its peof spring, but claim, broadly, anysuitable rcculiar construction, so effectually breaks the silient material for that purpose. Hence the force of the blow that no injury results therecoil spring is herein shown only as typical of '80 from, the device being at the same time 10- any suitable material that may be used to cated so close to the track that there is no break or destroy the force of the blow of a room for a person to get under the car. It moving car when striking a person. It may then results that the person struck is either be well to state herein that the coiled spring brushed to one side or falls over upon the is at present considered preferable for use in 85 platform, and in either case is uninjured. the manufacture of my improved device, To this end my invention consists in the since, while it is economical, it at the same features, arrangements, and combinations time offers a resilience suitable for carrying hereinafter described and claimed. out the purpose of my invention. In theouter In the drawings is illustrated an embodiportion of the platform 3 these coiled springs 90 ment of the invention, in which 18 are placed longitudinally or lengthwise,

Figure l is a side View or elevation of the since this portion of the platfdrm is sure to device shown in connection with the front end come first in contact with a person caught of the car to which it is attached. Fig. 2 is upon the track by a moving car. Special ata view of the device detached from the car, tention must therefore be given to the outer 5 the half on the left being a plan View and the portion of the platform, and for this reason other half a bottom view of the device. Fig. the springs 18 are so placed that their great- 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line est resilience acts in the direction toward at 00, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section which the car is moving when the person is taken on the line 1 1 Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is the struck. 1co outer portion of a section taken longitudi- Coiled springs are placed in the interior of nally through the center of a modified form the platform, seat, and arms of the device, of the device. and wherever placed they are provided with My invention consists of a platform 3, a suitable covering of leather, oil-cloth, netting, woven wire, or any other suitable or desirable woven fabric or material, said covering being designated in the drawings by the reference-letter A.

6 is a suitable stiff brush constructed of any desirable material and secured to astrip 5, made fast to the bottom B of the platform and entirely surrounding the same, though sufficiently within the interior to be removed from contact with the object when first struck by the car. This brush, with its support, runs parallel with the outline of the platform and is designed to brush away foreign objects from the track in front of the car. By the use of this brush, it becomes practicable to locate the platform of my improved device quite close to the track, and this is desirable in order to avoid the possibility of a person passing under the car after being struck by the same.

Both ends of my improvement, preferably,

.have the same shape, so that either end-may be in front, as desired. This is necessary on those cable and other systems of street-rail-' ways where the cars do not turn and the front 1 end going in one direction is the rear end going in the opposite direction.

As shown in the drawings, my improvement is secured to the front platform of the car by dropping a pin 7 through an aperture in the car-platform and into a corresponding aperture 14 of my improvement, as heretofore described. Pin 7 may be readily removed and the device changed from one end of the train to the other in the same manner as the gripcar is handled on those cable trains where the cars do not turn. This method consists simply in switching from one track to the other on an inclined section of track at the I end of the road. 7

From what has already been said, the use or operation of my improved device will be readily understood. As the carstrikes a person,l1e is either pushed to one side or falls on the platform, and in either case is uninjured,

by virtue of the construction and arrangement heretofore described.

It will be observed that the wheels 4 are provided with flanges C for retaining the car on the track, said flanges being similar and correspondingly located to the flanges on the Wheels of the car 1, to which the device is attached.

Though my improved device is shown secured to the platform of the car 1 by a coupling-pin it may be secured thereto by the use of a chain or any other device suitable for the purpose which ordinary mechanical skill will readily suggest.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. An attachment for cars, said attachment consisting of a platform coupled to the front end of a car and suitably supported, a seat secured across the top of said platform and provided with a reversible back, the main body of the platform consisting of a suitable frame having springs or other resilient material seated thereon and covered so as to form a soft cushion or padding at all exposed points on the outer surface of the platform, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. An attachment for cars, said attachment consisting of a platform 3, mounted upon trucks and coupled to the front end of a car,

said platform being composed of a framebearing spring or other resilient material seated thereon and covered so as to form a soft cushion or padding at all exposed points,

the bottom of the platform being provided GABRIEL KONIGSBERG.

Witnesses;

G. J. RoLLAUDE'T, WM. MoCoNNnLL. 

